THE BIRDS OF FAIR ISLE 8i 



northern groups of islands. A female was captured on 29th 

 May during a rush of migrants. This species has not been 

 recorded, I believe, for Scandinavia or Northern Europe, 

 and its appearance at Fair Isle can only be attributed to 

 erratic wandering (overshooting its range when seeking 

 summer quarters), or to being carried out of its course by 

 the influence of adverse weather conditions. 



Greater Wheatear, Saxicola leucorrhoa (Gmelin). — The 

 first Wheatears that came under our notice as immigrants 

 on their passage southwards consisted of numbers of this 

 large brightly-coloured race. They arrived during the first 

 week of September, and their movements continued at 

 intervals down to the end of the month. Some days they 

 were very numerous, and their large size was in marked 

 contrast with that of the native birds. The wing measure- 

 ment of specimens varied from 98 to 105 mm.; several 

 males and females reaching the latter dimension. The 

 adult male at this season has the mantle a mixture of pale 

 grey and light brown, and the two pretty white stripes 

 on the side of the head, one extending from the fore- 

 head over and well behind the eye, and the other from 

 the chin to under the eye, are conspicuous. I had seen 

 these birds on my previous visits to the island, but had 

 never found them so abundant as in the past autumn. In 

 the spring the northern passage commenced during the first 

 week of April, and the old males were then remarkable 

 for the brilliancy of their plumage. This early date for the 

 northward passage was probably induced by the wonderful 

 outburst of summer weather experienced during the last 

 week of March. 



The summer home of this race is E. and W. Greenland 

 and the lands on the opposite side of Davis Straits, and 

 Iceland ; and it probably winters in West Africa. Its 

 regular lines of migration are by way of the Faroe and 

 British Islands ; and I have captured examples at the 

 lanterns of the Eddystone Lighthouse and Kentish Knock 

 Light Vessel, when on their southern passage in the 

 autumn. 



151. Black-throated Wheatear, Saxicola occidentalis. — On 25th 

 September a fine male in winter plumage was detected by 

 me among the numerous scattered examples of the Common 

 Wheatear. Mr. Grimshaw, who examined the crop, found 

 it to contain entirely insect matter, consisting of the larvae 

 of two noctuid moths and the fragments of several 

 ichneumons (Hymenoptera). 

 66 c 



